Inside Story for Friday 12th of September 2025

By Andrew McChesney

Sixteen-year-old Domenico didn’t want to lose Fulvia after meeting her at a dance in Florence, Italy. So, he lied when she asked about his parents.

“What do your parents do?” she asked.

“My parents are rich,” he replied. “They own a beautiful car.”

Then Fulvia asked where he lived. Without thinking, he gave her the address of the orphanage where he lived.

But when she went to the address and found the orphanage, Domenico couldn’t lie anymore. “I’m an orphan,” he said. “I live there.”

Fulvia told her father everything, and Domenico thought their relationship was over. But her father’s response surprised Domenico.

“We have three children,” he said. “Invite him over. We’ll have four.”

Fulvia’s family accepted Domenico like a son, and he visited their home regularly. Wrapped in their love, Domenico experienced God’s love for the first time. He had heard about God, but now he saw His love in real life. A desire grew in his heart to know God, and he began to pray.

Image © Pacific Press

Years passed. Domenico left the orphanage and married Fulvia when he was 22. He still wanted to know God. He had watched the 1956 U.S. movie The Ten Commandments in the orphanage, and he wondered if there was a church that kept all Ten Commandments. He wondered if anyone lived a Christian life as described by the Bible.

One day, when he was 30, Domenico switched on the radio and heard a voice say, “Now we’re going to talk about the apostle Paul.” Domenico listened and noticed the radio show hosts spoke differently from any other Christian he had heard. He began to listen to the radio station regularly. When a speaker mentioned Ellen G. White’s Steps to Christ, he called to ask for a copy. He also asked if the book could be delivered to his house by someone who could answer questions about what he had heard on the radio.

Emmanuel and his wife showed up at Domenico’s house with the book. Emmanuel opened the Bible to answer Domenico’s questions and, at his request, shared the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Wishing to know about the history of Christianity, Domenico then read The Great Controversy.

After seven months of Bible studies, Domenico felt wrapped in God’s love, and he was baptized. “I’m grateful to Adventist radio because it changed my life,” said Domenico Civardi, now 68.

Thank you for your mission offerings that help proclaim the gospel through radio broadcasts around the world.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-11-inside-story-wrapped-in-gods-love/

Daily Lesson for Friday 12th of September 2025

Further Thought:

Read Ellen G. White, “Idolatry at Sinai,” Pages 315–327, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

This week’s lesson presents a special focus on God’s work in be­lievers. The Lord can do in us “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV). We should not focus on ourselves and gratify our personal desires, because this leads to idolatry. Instead, our attention should be on God and His power. He gives the strength, which leads to a new and victorious life (Philippians 4:13; Jude 1:24-25).

“Love no less than justice demanded that for this sin judgment should be inflicted. God is the guardian as well as the sovereign of His people. He cuts off those who are determined upon rebellion, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing the life of Cain, God had demonstrated to the universe what would be the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. The influence exerted upon his descendants by his life and teaching led to the state of corruption that demanded the destruction of the whole world by a flood. . . . The longer men lived, the more corrupt they became. So with the apostasy at Sinai. Unless punishment had been speedily visited upon transgression, the same results would again have been seen.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 325.

Discussion Questions

<–Thursday

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-11-further-thought-apostasy-and-intercession/

Our Sabbath School program has always been linked to the support of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission program. This video provides a little insight into this important work.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-sepember-13/